Revelation 17:14 “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

People have gotten tied in knots for 2000 years trying to identify the various individuals mentioned in this chapter, but this verse tells us the only things we need to focus on: Christ wins, and to be on His side, we need to be called and chosen and faithful. Spiritual warfare is very real indeed, and thinking or pretending otherwise gets us into very real trouble. As just one example, the rise of socialism/communism and Islam in the US today would have been unthinkable even just a few years ago, but the spiritual battles that underly that have been going on all along, and have been largely ignored. Of the three descriptors applied to those who are “with the Lamb,” being called and chosen are God’s business, but being faithful is ours. Just as God is totally holy, and so calls for holiness in those who would come to Him, so He is perfectly faithful, and asks for that in those who would be disciples. We are manifestly imperfect, and we stumble, but faithfulness is a heart attitude first, expressing itself in action more and more as it grows. Our goal is indeed to be like Jesus, just as the little chorus says. We can’t accomplish it on our own, but nothing is impossible for Him, and that’s what He wants to do in us by His Spirit. We are distracted and discouraged by so many different things, but He is aware of every one, and He is greater than all of them put together. Our support, our hope in all of this, is Jesus Himself, so we have absolutely nothing to be anxious about. The longer we serve Him, the clearer His calling for us becomes and the more assurance we have that He has chosen us. (We may wonder at His wisdom in doing so, but that’s not ours to decide.) On that basis, we are to be faithful in our obedience to Him, not in our own strength and wisdom but in His, for His glory.

This is a lesson I’ve been somewhat slow to learn. God has gifted me in many different ways, and for far too long I thought my value to Him lay in those gifts. However, God could have given those gifts and abilities to anyone at all, so that was misunderstanding on my part. What God has been asking of me all along has been faithfulness, and by His grace, I have grown in it. I arrived in Fukuoka to be a missionary September 15, 1981. Within the month, I had been hired by the Koyo Schools here in Omura, and we’ve been here ever since. We haven’t had spectacular “success,” but we have touched many lives, and our spiritual children are currently literally around the world. With my 78^th birthday coming up in two days, I don’t know how much longer the Lord will keep me in this world, but I do know that He asks me to be faithful for however long that is. He is everything, and He deserves my all.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You have done in and through me over the years. Thank You that one of my spiritual adopted children will be speaking this morning, and that I get to interpret for her. Thank You for her faithfulness. May Your Word come forth clearly through both of us, accomplishing Your purposes in all who hear, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!